Monterey Fest Bids Its Founder Adieu

When Jimmy Lyons takes the microphone Sept. 20 to introduce such renowned artists as Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck and the Modern Jazz Quartet, concluding the 35th annual Monterey Jazz Festival, the curtain will come down on one of the foremost eras in jazz.

That Sunday, Lyons, who founded the Monterey event in 1958 and produced it through 1991, will be emceeing his final concert, which he also produced, presenting acts that appeared at the first Monterey festival. Since its inception, the festival has been held on the bucolic Monterey County Fairgrounds.

The other four festival concerts, which begin next Friday, were produced by Tim Jackson, who was selected last year by the festival’s board of directors to replace Lyons as the festival’s general manager and, except for the Sunday affair, produced this year’s event. Jackson, 38, has directed the Kuumbwa Jazz Centre in Santa Cruz for 15 years.

Other acts on the festival lineup are the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Miles Davis tribute band with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, the Billy Childs quartet, the Yellowjackets, Betty Carter and Roy Hargrove.

Lyons’ exit has been shrouded in controversy. According to Myron (Doc) Etienne, president of the festival, Lyons initiated retirement discussions in 1989 but was not specific about a date. When the board decided to proceed with his retirement last year, “it was not something Jimmy fully comprehended,” Etienne said.

Lyons said he wanted to stay in charge another year or two, at least through the 35th festival. “It was devastating,” he said, referring to the board’s decision. “They thought it was time to replace me, I guess.”

Etienne said that was the case. The festival, initially a creative bastion that featured cutting-edge artists and commissioned new works from the likes of Duke Ellington, had in recent years undergone an artistic malaise that many attribute to Lyons’ booking policy, with familiar names, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Joe Williams, brought back year after year.

“We felt it was important to bring in someone who was aware of the talent that was out there,” Etienne said. “We love and respect Jimmy, but there’s no doubt we needed to bring in someone to take over the festival.”

Jackson said he has no plans to make radical changes at the festival. “I basically want to continue the tradition of integrity that Monterey is known for,” he said. “I want to make sure it never falls into a generic category.”

Tickets to the festival’s main arena, where the concerts are held, are nearly sold out. Grounds admission tickets, which allow access to two performing venues that feature many headlining artists, are still available. Information: (408) 373-3366.

New Jazz on the Airwaves: For the first time since KKGO-FM dropped jazz and turned to a classical format two years ago, Los Angeles has a commercial jazz station. Calling itself “Jazz FM 103.1,” KAJZ (in the Los Angeles area) and KBJZ (in Orange County) hit the airwaves on Monday, offering what program director Lawrence Tanter called a “smooth jazz” format. The station features easy-listening selections by such artists as Al Jarreau, Oscar Peterson, Bobby Lyle, Dianne Reeves, Stan Getz and Gerald Albright.

“This will not be a Quiet Storm station, we’re not New Adult Contemporary, we’re not a Wave station, we’re a jazz station,” said Tanter, who has been the Los Angeles Lakers’ game announcer for 12 years and who has been affiliated with “quiet storm” formats at KUTE-FM and, until about a month ago, at KACE-FM.

The station, formerly known as MARS-FM, can be heard 24 hours a day and features such air personalities as Tanter (2 to 6 p.m., Monday-Friday), China Smith, Brooke Jones and Joe Huser.

Critic’s Choice: The Black/Note quintet, one of the town’s best young traditional, acoustic-based bands, is holding forth Thursdays through the end of the year at Marla’s Memory Lane. The entertainment policy is back in the on position at the longstanding Los Angeles nightspot after going through an on-again, off-again flux since the first of the year. The top-flight group, which made a solid debut CD, “43rd & Degnan,” features bassist Mark Shelby, saxman James Mahone, pianist Ark Sano, trumpeter Richard Grant and drummer Willie Jones III. Information: (213) 294-8430.